I just saw my name on a donor wall for the first time in my life, and I am thrilled about where it is: down the hall from new public art, across from a future ice cream stand, around the corner from a wine bar in a space designed to celebrate hyperlocal food and culture. I cannot wait for the Madison Public Market.
I walked with a handful of other donors through the bones of the market on Wednesday while our guide teased future merchants, potential and confirmed. There will for sure be sweet and savory crepes, soul food and grab-and-go goodies. There could be a brewery? There might be a booth with fresh flowers and a pizza vendor. If you want to make a candle, pick up a luxurious body butter or meet a friend for coffee, the market will be the place.
As we wandered by empty booths awaiting buildouts by more than two dozen businesses, I tried to envision the space alive on a summer afternoon. My colleague Samara Kalk, writing last week for the State Journal, joked “if you’re putting (an opening date) in your planner, use a pencil.” I know she’s right — I took over reporting on the market for CT over a decade ago. I’m aware of the delays and the critics. I choose to embrace anticipation, and turn with optimism toward summer.
My favorite holiday, Easter, coincides with warmer weather in hope if not always in practice. My early dinner plan includes a boneless ham, potatoes au gratin, fennel salad, roasted carrots, maybe a fresh green soup if I’m feeling ambitious. Batch Bakehouse is making our dessert (key lime pie) and I want to bake my own fresh dinner rolls with honey butter, because yeast is fun science…